Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Go 'Murphy' go! Wes and Sierra Wilson Sparks pose with their dachshund Murphy after winning the wiener dog races at the Nevada State Fair on Sunday. It was an exciting race that ended with a tie-breaker! Excerpt from theReno Gazette-Journal: All the dachshund named Murphy wanted on Sunday was to get his tiny paws on a giant toy soccer ball his owner was dangling at the finish line.Meanwhile, Guido, who beat him the last few years in the Nevada State Fair Wiener Dog Races, was focused on his owner, who was shaking a duster and his favorite ball at him.They were off!And in a dramatic finish, they tied.Murphy seemed oblivious as he ran around the racing arena chasing his soccer ball and being chased by his owner. Guido, meanwhile, was scooped up in his owner's arms, ready to race again.So, both dogs went back to the starting line.If 3-year-old Guido won, it would be his first victory after coming in second the lasttwo years. If 5-year-old Murphy won, it would be his first victory after coming in third, behind Guido, the last few years.Ultimately, the trophy went to Murphy who won by more than a snout."He is the wiener," said his owner, Wes Wilson of Sparks. "Especially today."The two pups also tied for first place in an earlier heat that sent them both to the finals."Four times in a row, Guido has always kicked his butt," said Wilson's wife, Sierra, who was tempting Murphy with the soccer ball. "He finally won, and we're really excited."Wes Wilson joked that a picture of Guido was posted on their refrigerator to motivate Murphy to victory."He's a little stud," Wes Wilson said. Read the rest and see all 13 photos.

Way to go 'Doodle Bug!' We're betting that you got a bath on Saturday to boot! Madeline Turner, 9, proudly holds up her winning red long-hair dachshund, who took first place at the Humane Society of the Branson, Missouri Tri-Lakes Area’s second annual Dachshund Dog Race on Saturday. Excerpt fromBranson Daily News: Short hair, long hair, wire hair, 30 barking dogs were at the second annual Dachshund Race from double dapple to plain-Jane black and tan held by the Humane Society of Branson Tri-Lakes Area.At least 150 dog owners came through the gates at Celebration City before registration closed but race organizer Sue Dillard estimated there were about 250 people, including spectators in the stands before the first race started. The event raised about $3,000.The races, divided into four heats with a final race for the winners, didn’t always go as planned.The dogs were put into the red starting boxes, the announcer counted down and the doors sprang open — the dogs didn’t always race down the white chalked lanes to their owners. On the first heat one enterprising dog led the pack — out the side and across the field before they were caught.Several dogs couldn’t figure out what the fuss was all about and decided to play tag with each other. Then there was the mild-mannered puppy who was bullied into jumping the fence, opting out of the race all together. A few stragglers just refused to go from the start gate to the finish line.But at least three who “got it” and raced down the track at break-neck speed — for a Dachshund — into the thrilled arms of their owners. Doodle Bug was the number one fastest dog at the race.“It was awesome!” nine-year-old Madeline, daughter of Mark and Ann Turner, of Branson, said, hugging her now muddy dog. “This is my dog, and he loves his tennis ball — that’s how I got him to run. He won’t be two until November.”Lainey, owned by Pam Ingram of Hollister took second place and Ginger, owned by Kim Najera of Everton, Ark., won third. Read the rest.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

'Henry' the Dachshund, owned by Jon and Sue Winslow in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was chosen by the New Hampshire Lottery to be one of eight lucky dogs featured on scratch tickets. Henry looks so pleased with himself, and he should be! Excerpt fromSeacoastonline: Henry is one lucky dog. The 3-year-old Dachshund is very much loved by his owners, Jon and Susan Winslow. He is also forever immortalized on a scratch ticket called, appropriately, “Lucky Dog.”When the Winslows got Henry from a pet store, they said he was very sick.“We think he came from a puppy mill,” said Susan Winslow. “We took him to the vet three times, the first day we had him.”Still, he was so adorable that the Winslows, owners of Image Arts in Portsmouth, set him up for his first photo shoot. One of those pictures is the one that captured hearts.“I was playing old lottery tickets on Lotto Replay and saw an ad for the contest,” said Jon Winslow. “I e-mailed one photo. There were 2,100 entries and from that eight dogs, including Henry, were selected to be on the tickets.”The contest was in February. The Winslows were told in March that Henry won and given 53 of the scratch tickets as a prize.“We won $70,” said Jon Winslow. “One of my customers won $80 on a Henry ticket.”Henry’s status as a celebrity was well established long before the contest. He and his sibling, Scooter, a 14-year-old Dachshund are regulars at the Winslows' business, located in Plaza 800 on Islington St.“People come in just to see Henry,” said Jon. “They don’t buy anything. They just want to see him. If he’s not here people are disappointed.”Henry seemed used to being a star. He lay contentedly in his bed, wearing a Red Sox neckerchief, happily accepting pats — unless someone wanted to play ball with him, of course.“He’s our best employee,” said Susan Winslow.

Monday, August 27, 2007

What a fun and relaxing adventure for Rosie and Lucy!From thesanluisobispo.com Pet Talescolumn: San Luis Obispo dachshunds Rosie, 9, left, and Lucy, 10, enjoy the sights during a fly-fishing trip on the Madison River in southwest Montana.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Ryker sure is a pretty black and tan dapple long hair boy. He's the coverdog for a Time article called 'The Wild World of Animal Prostheses.' Excerpt fromTime: Ryker, a dachshund, is able to walk with the aid of a cart custom fitted to his dimensions at the Animal Rehabilitation & Wellness Hospital in Raleigh, NC. Read the rest.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

It's elementary, my dear Watson! This is a photo of Nigel Bruce and Basil Rathbone playing with Bruce's four dachshunds by the pool at Bruce's home. Nigel Bruce and Basil Rathbone portrayed the famous Conan Doyle characters Dr. John Watson and Mr. Sherlock Holmes in a series of 14 movies spanning several years. Bruce, a British character actor, worked on 78 movies during his film career. Find out more about Nigel Bruce at wikipedia.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Meet beautiful 'Lilly!' Lilly is a chocolate and tan piebald dachshund with ticking. Last weekend,MidWest Dachshund Rescuecoordinated Lilly's travel through the heart of the midwest, the beginning of her search for her new forever home. This is a special post today, as guest contributor Christa V. got to transport Lilly on the final leg of the journey towards finding that forever home, and provides the heartwarming account. From Christa V:

Picture a city driver who typically is a bit highstrung anyway, stuck in construction traffic, in a downpour, with a full-figured doxie said driver has never met before planted firmly on said driver’s bladder. Is Lilly the Rescued Lady continent? (A. Yes, more so than I feel at that moment.) Is Lilly prone to anxiety? (A. Evidently not as much as I am.) So the interior of the (borrowed, new) car is safe.Lilly is the product of a broken home; she parted from her sad human mommy early that morning, after a long drive from Jefferson City, Missouri. I met this pretty and extremely sweet girl in the afternoon, in Gardner. Illinois. My mission: to bring her to her foster home in the western suburbs of Chicago, on a recent run of the doxie railroad for Midwest Dachshund Rescue.We had quite a conversation during our hours in traffic. I told Lilly about how she would soon find another home where people would love her very much. Lilly sighed softly and shifted her weight on my bladder. I told Lilly about my own doxies, and how one was a rescue, and what they both did for fun, and how perhaps Lilly would find a home near us and come to dachshund meetups with us. Lilly sat up on my lap and kissed me. (On the lips, and on the interstate.) I played reggae music on the radio. Lilly stood on my bladder to look out at the other cars and did a little dance. I gently encouraged Lilly to sit down.After a mere two hours together, Lilly and I achieved quite a rapport. She followed on my heels as I unloaded the car at her foster home. She introduced herself nicely to her foster family, which includes two senior doxies and a doxie/chi mix. She made straight for the patio door with the nice view of the yard; she seems to enjoy watching the world go by. She followed me out to the car again. In addition to being cute as a doll and happy as a quiet little clam, Lilly is open and loving to all she meets. It was hard to say goodbye to her. I hope I see her again, but there’s one thing of which I’m certain -- she will meet with all the love and lap time she richly deserves.(In this account, no implied endorsement should be read in support of driving with a dog on one’s lap; the crate with which Lilly arrived did not fit my car. Always protect small vulnerable dogs by securing them with a crate or seat belt.)

Thursday, August 23, 2007

This great little photo is from the Florida Tourism Archive collected by Sarah Bush over at flickr. This is the only doxie photo in Sarah's collection, but make sure to check out her fun set of 225 photos which documents a much simpler time.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Are dachshund gangs taking over the streets of Tokyo? Are these the same doxies in this related story'Dachshund Street Gangs?' Enjoy this fun little clip and have a great day! From the filmaker: Saturday, August 11, 2007, a chance meeting with a passing stranger on Tokyo's Omotesando Avenue, accompanied by his "entourage" got the filmmaker to turn around and capture it on a phone-cam. Do not miss minute 5:00 when the youngest of the clan struggled to step over a leash.

Monday, August 20, 2007

This little beauty will run you between 30 and 40 bucks. If you complain that all the doxie stuff is red or black & tan, never cream or dapple or chocolate or wild boar or wheaten, then this piebald is for you! From Fisher Price: Introduced in 1938 as "Snoopy Sniffer," this charming pull-along pup has captured hearts for generations. This lovely Snoop n' Sniff reproduction rambles along with a clickity-clack and a wag of his tail as you pull him. Adorable and durable, Snoop n' Sniff is a classic pull toy that children have adored over the ages.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Dinah the Dachshund made her first film appearance in Walt Disney's "The Sleepwalker," July 3rd, 1942 as Pluto's love interest. Dinah played the field over the years, as she was known to date Pluto, Butch the Bulldog, and even had eyes for a circus hero, Prince the Wonder Dog. Find out more about Dinah at wikipedia. "Canine Casanova" 1945

Friday, August 17, 2007

Meet Wildwood's Cactus Thorn, or 'Cactus.' Cactus is an 8 month-old blind double dapple dachshund. Cactus was in danger of being put down, but was adopted by amputee Bob Gabbard, who saw something special in Cactus, and they've turned their disabilities into a wonderful friendship. Excerpt from Tulsa'sKOTV: "He had such a personality,” said Gabbard.He empathized with the dog some. Gabbard has had circulatory problems in his right leg for years. It was amputated a couple of years ago. He just couldn't bear to see the little dog put down. Except for the blindness, he was otherwise healthy.Cactus learned his way around the house in no time. Gabbard has trained him to respond to a whistle. When he blows it, Cactus responds."The thing is he recognized what the problem is,” Gabbard said.Cactus can't see so he uses his nose and his ears. He hesitates when he hears or smells something he's not sure of.Gabbard spends his days in a wheelchair or on a scooter. It was play time so they hopped aboard the scooter and off they went, out in the yard. Cactus gets to be a real dog. He can run and play. He sniffs out bugs in the grass. Gabbard uses the whistle to keep him out of trouble."The main this is to keep him aware of that whistle, so you can keep him out of dangerous places and places he shouldn't be,” he said.The blind dog and his Seeing Eye man."When he enjoys life as much as he does, it helps all of us enjoy our lives a little more,” Gabbard said. Read the rest, see more pics and a video.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Like a bad penny, this news story keeps turning up. The origin seems to be from a story put together bySpiegelin March of this year. It showed up later in several other news sources. A funny quote fromtimesonline.co.uk: The newspaper Söddeutsche Zeitung pointed out recently that Germany’s high society was turning its back on the floppy-eared mutts. “With a crooked-legged creature like that one has no chance of making it into the style pages of glossy magazines,“ it wrote. “At best one will get into a hound and hunting magazine.”Reuters and CNN have picked up the story now. Here's an excerpt fromReuters: Germans are turning their backs on dachshunds, the short-legged, long-bodied "sausage dogs" which are as much a national emblem as beer and lederhosen.The German Dog Association (VDH) says only 7,158 dachsund, or "dackel", puppies were born in the country last year and the birth rate has dropped by about 35 percent in the last decade."Dackels are in decline because German owners have a far wider range of breeds to choose from than they did 20 years ago," said Birgit Buttner of the VDH.Golden retrievers, Labradors and Jack Russell terriers, relative newcomers in Germany, are the main threat to the beloved dachshund, she said.However, even if dachshunds are in decline in Germany, they are booming in Japan where last year 20,000 puppies were bred. Read the rest.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Socialite, civic leader, philanthropist, and dachshund lover Brooke Astor has died at the age of 105. She donated 200 million dollars to New York charities over her lifetime. She was awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom for her work in 1998. Vincent Astor, her third husband, was the chairman of the board of Newsweek magazine, and one of the richest Americans at the time of his death in 1959. He was the son of millionaire businessman John Jacob Astor IV, who died in the sinking of the Titanic. According to wienerdogs.org, her dachshunds included Fafner Pichou and Dolly.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Smile! It's Monday! Videos like this should be illegal. Holding in the #64 spot of 'most linked videos - pets and animals' - on youtube, these dachshund puppies define the word cute. How many times can you watch it? Thanks again to Jerry S. for the link.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

A Chicago police officer tickets the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in the 400 block of North Michigan Avenue. (click photo to enlarge)

Thanks to Rebecca S. for the link! Kevin Pang had a good time writing this fun story for theChicago Tribune. Excerpt: A massive hot dog clogged Chicago's main artery Thursday morning.In a rare occurrence of an encased-meat vehicle committing a traffic violation, Chicago police ticketed the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile for illegal parking on the Magnificent Mile.The incident began at 10:57 a.m. in the 400 block of North Michigan Avenue. At least two members of the Wienermobile entourage left the vehicle in the six-lane street with its emergency blinkers on. The vehicle is registered to Kraft Foods under the Wisconsin license plate "WEENR."A police officer approached the Chevrolet with the 27-foot fiberglass sausage and removable bun roof. The officer radioed for a tow truck.Matt Smith of the city's Streets and Sanitation Department said the city would have been ready to handle the job."We have access to tow trucks that could have handled a Polish sausage, not just a hot dog," Smith said.The officer wrote the ticket and affixed it to the wiener's footlong side mirror. Ed Walsh, a spokesman for the city Department of Revenue, said parking in a "Parking/Standing Prohibited Anytime" zone is a $50 violation.About 15 minutes later, as curious passersby snapped pictures with their camera phones, the driver and passenger of the vehicle returned before tow trucks could arrive. "The situation was resolved without the use of ketchup, which in Chicago is a big thing," Smith said.The entourage got a grilling from the officer."You can't just park here," the officer said.One of the passengers, who declined to be identified, said they were visiting a Wienermobile alumnus who worked nearby, but were unaware that one could not park a giant sausage in the middle of the city's busiest thoroughfare.Sydney Lindner, a spokeswoman for Kraft Foods, said the Wienermobile is on a nationwide tour promoting a contest to sing the Oscar Mayer jingle in an upcoming commercial.She said "regardless of the reason" the driver had for parking there, the company neither condones nor relishes such actions."It's against company policy to park in undesignated area even if you're driving a company vehicle that's shaped like a giant hot dog," Lindner said. "We appreciate the police doing their job and we regret any inconvenience this may have caused."The hot dog was last seen driving north on Michigan Avenue. Link to storyFind out more about the Wienermobile atwikipedia.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Gotta take the doxies on the next plane to Kiev, what a photo op! Nikolai Yakovchenko (1900 - 1976) was a popular actor of Ukranian theatre and cinema.His beloved dachshund's name was Fan-Fan.Excerpt fromMy Kiev: This statue was erected in 2000 for a 100-years jubilee of the actor. It was placed in the park in the vicinity of Ivan Franko’s theatre where Nicholas Yakovchenko was acting through nearly a half of a century. Kievans had liked the statue — kids are climbing to the shoulders of an old actor and stroking the back of funny dachshund; young girls like to sit on a knee of the statue for photos, so that places are polished and shiny. This will probably make Nicholas Yakovchenko really happy if he only knew, because all of his life he liked to be in a heart of a company.Find out more about Nikolai Yakovchenko atMy Kiev.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Meet 'Hot Dog!' Local newspaper staff did a story on pets that spend their days at the workplace, and this is Hot Dog's story. Make sure to check out the link for a video where Hot Dog promptly growls at the cameraman and "gets in his box" on command. What a good boy! Excerpt fromjdnews.com, Jacksonville, NC:Puppy PR The threshold of the door to Deb Tarplee's office at Tideline Marine is the end of the line for little Hot Dog. The 6-year-old dachshund knows he's not supposed to cross it. "I trained him to stay (inside the office), but sometimes he breaks the rules," said Deb who owns the business with her husband Bill. "He greets every person that comes near the door."At 22-and-some inches long, the rusty red fella - officially named "Rusty Red Baron" - is well-known at the marina that has been a part of the Jacksonville community for more than 20 years. He was just seven weeks old when Deb picked him out of the litter at a kennel in Havelock. "He was the friskiest one of the bunch," she said, "and he brought me a newspaper."Obviously an intelligent animal, Hot Dog started coming to work at Tideline with Deb from the first day she got him. While she and Bill keep up with customers, boats and paperwork, little Hot Dog keeps them company. "He's just a pleasure. He's always right there with me," Deb said. "I love it."Bill said Hot Dog is one "good boy" but he's a different boy when Deb's not around. "He has an entirely different personality when she's not here," Bill said, as Hot Dog playfully licked his face. "He's subdued. Quiet. He goes into some kind of doggy funk like he's depressed. The minute she comes in, he's normal. He's definitely her dog."Hot Dog loves anything that squeaks and has various toys, especially rope toys, laying around. Deb said he was easy to house break and is just an easy, loving dog in general. She's taught him a few tricks - he can stand up and twirl, and he knows how to unlock and open the door to his little dog house when he's ready for nap. Mostly, Deb said, Hot Dog is a constant comfort for her and those who visit the marina."People stop by just to visit him," she said. "He's in charge of our public relations." Link to see video.

Monday, August 6, 2007

If you haven't checked out 'In Jesse's Garden,' head on over. Dee Dee Murry has some great dachshund designs. She has some great t-shirts on her site which are unfortunately mostly sold out, but there are other nice designs available on Cafe Press. She also offers fine art prints and pet portraits. It's heartwarming to read about her beloved doxie 'Jesse,' and her current doxie 'Hallie.' Murry's "It's a Big New World Out There"

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Marketing ploy or solid nutrition? Do your research! This is Royal Canin's dachumercial for their breed specific formula. If you haven't seen them, here are links for Hill's dachumercial and Eukanuba's dachumercial which were previously posted.Enjoy your Sunday! It's fun to watch these professionally edited videos; there are lots of great doxies to admire.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

GO CORKY GO! As a followup to last weekend's Wiener Dog Nationals in Kansas City, meet the champion, 10 year old 'Corky.' This was his last year racing, and his time of 12:16 was the fastest ever turned in on the course by a dachshund. Meet his nutritionist parents and see more great pics of Corky at the Lawrence Journallink. Excerpt: If wiener dog racing were as big as NASCAR, ESPN would film a segment devoted to Corky the dachshund.He might even get endorsement deals.Corky, perhaps the most famous wiener dog to come out of Lawrence, has built a dynasty.That doesn’t surprise Marty Glenn. The day he first met Corky 10 years ago — when the pup was just 8 weeks old — he could tell Corky was more spry than his siblings.“He looked like the one that had the most spunk out of any of them,” Glenn says.So Corky went home with Glenn and his wife, Chelbie.A year later, Corky entered his first wiener dog race. It was the Wiener Dog Nationals at The Woodlands racetrack in Kansas City, Kan.He blew away the competition in his heat and took a trophy in the 110-yard race. Read the rest. Related Story: Ten Year Old Dachshund Wins Wiener Dog Nationals

Friday, August 3, 2007

Usually it's the dachshund flipping out, but not in this case. Meet Jeff Lewis, the star of Bravo's new series "Flipping Out," and what appears to be his mostly dachshund mix(?) 'Oliver.' Jeff is an obsessive-compulsive control freak who flips million-dollar properties, fights with his disgruntled employees, then talks to his spirit guide about it all. Oliver needs to be rescued from the drama. The dachudrama.Jeff apparently takes good care of his dog though: "Let's face it, the people I have working for me aren't necessarily the most qualified individuals," notes Lewis. "But the people that take care of me and my home and my pets are the most important part of this business. They can't leave. I can't do this without them."If you like train wrecks, and wanna watch the doxie sit back and observe it all, find out more at Bravotv.com.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Here's a gift they will not soon forget. Too bad it's only available for delivery within the boundaries of Ontario! FromLong Dog Winery: WHY "LONG DOG"?I grew up with dachshunds. James gave me a wire-haired dachshund puppy for my 30th birthday and was soon devoted to the breed as well, as was Steven. Otto died suddenly of heart failure in 1998 (we were all devastated) and his ashes are buried under the first Pinot Noir vine planted in 1999. We then acquired Ben, a beautiful big red wire-haired dachshund sadly killed by a speeding car. The current dachshunds-in-residence are Bella and Fanny. Calling the vineyard "Long Dog" just made us smile. Check out more pics at Longdog.

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The Long and Short of Dachshunds in Popular Culture

FALL AND WINTER FASHION FOR DACHSHUNDISTS

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